THURSDAY-FRIDAY, MARCH 22-23                       

(Click on Image for Website)

Korean conductor makes debut     

(Click on image for website)

By Suzie Setzler and Krysti Peacock  

Unfortunately, if we are to see any of the much-acclaimed independent or foreign films, we must hope that these movies are chosen for screening at our local theater. However, we might remind you that IFC  (Independent Film Channel) simultaneously screens many of these award-winning films "On Demand," while they are still playing in selected theaters and art houses across the nation. This is how we stumbled across "The Snowtown Murders," a foreign film that has received countless praise from critics, including Roger Ebert who gave it a nearly perfect score of 3 1/2 stars, calling the film "distressing and almost unbearably painful," but well made.

"The Snowtown Murders" is a festival award-winning Australian film that made its U.S. theatrical release earlier this month. Justin Kurzel's directorial debut captures the real life story of serial killer, John Bunting, accused of murdering more than 11 people in South Australia, along with the depicted accounts that lead up to the murders and the initiation of his accomplices, including a teenage boy named James Vlassakis. The film is very raw and graphic but gives a chilling look into one man's ability to brainwash and recruit others to do his bidding, while justifying his actions as godlike, ridding the town of pedophiles, druggies and homosexuals.

Kurzel's adaptation of the small town to which we are introduced could easily be found in any low- income area in the U.S. It's drab, hopeless demeanor paints a neighborhood where ambition and passion are extinguished by the harsh reality of the hand that each had been given with a bleakness of deliverance. It is a tone that is carried much throughout the film as Kurzel wastes no time showing us the horrors of single mother Elizabeth Harvey's (Louise Harris) and her sons' lives.

It is here that we begin to have a love/hate relationship with the mother. She is a woman who cares little for her appearance, but has a deep love for her boys. Yet, it is her irresponsible and unwise actions that not only allow the younger boys to become victims of pedophilic actions by the neighbor, but of more violent behavior at the hands of their older sibling. With the focus on Harvey's teenage son, James (Lucas Pittiway), we come to have a conflicted understanding of how he is manipulated by a newcomer to the family, boyfriend John Bunting (Daniel Henshaw).

Becoming a protective father figure, Bunting is able to initially provide stability for James. However, over time it is a false sense of security, and deadly in its intention. Bunting teaches James to fight back, but in a way that becomes extremely violent and sadistic to its intended victims - men whom they believe are deserving of such crimes due to accusations and rumors of pedophilic, homosexual or drug-related behaviors. And it is here that you can see how a young adolescent can be influenced to commit the murders, involuntarily committing his soul to Bunting for protection, something his mother could never provide.

Overall the film was very well done and chillingly acted, sometimes almost too realistic for our own tastes. However, through these disturbing and graphic images, we were able to understand the psychological sickness that plagued James, and how we could come to almost sympathize with him and understand how he was able to be misled by Bunting and his accomplices. Our only qualm with the film is that, at times, the editing was very dodgy and the direction of the film somewhat blurred and confusing. If you can persevere through the subject matter, sticking with the film through its entirety, you will feel satisfied with the docu-drama feel of this movie for it is a dark story of a young broken spirit. In the end, we say it is worth seeing and do recommend it. Please keep in mind, due to the graphic nature of the contents of the film, it is not suitable for younger audiences.

Foreign Film - Australia

NR - 119 Mins

Cast and Credit:

Directed by Justin Kurzel

James Vlassakis - Lucas Pittiway

John Bunting - Daniel Henshaw

Elizabeth Harvey - Louise Harris

MARCH 30- EAT THE STREET                   

 Food trucks return to their Kakaako location ... more  

MARCH 30 - A MASTERWORKS CONCERT        
Legendary contrabass virtuoso François Rabbath ... more